When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike's office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.

The most epic Galbraith/Rowling novel yet

22 hours of fantastic listening

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-10-18

Another fabulous book by Robert Galbraith! Loved every minute of it. The story is not ridiculously complicated, which can get very difficult with an audio book, but it is one which twists and turns, leaving the reader guessing. If you liked the first three books then do not hesitate to purchase this one.The narration is outstanding. The voices are spot on, especially Kinvara when she is shouting at her little terrier, and I even forgive him the dodgy Glaswegian accent for Sam Barclay! He is an incredible narrator and a huge part in why the book is so enjoyable.Great to have Strike and Robin back again - such a brilliant team. Looking forward to Book 5 already! Well done JK Rowling!

The Word Is Murder

By:
Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by:
Rory Kinnear

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,058

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,930

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,918

A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she's arranged her own funeral. A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own. A reluctant author drawn into a story he can’t control. What do they have in common? Unexpected death, an unsolved mystery and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's new thriller. Spread the word. The word is murder.

5 out of 5 stars

The Unemployed Detective

Fabulous!

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 14-09-17

I enjoyed this even more than The Magpie Murders, which I loved. Initially I was unsure about the author himself appearing in the book, but I think that this was, in the end, part of the appeal. It is a wonderful story, very convincing, and a plot of which Agatha Christie herself would have been proud. Hawthorne and Horowitz make a very appealing detective duo.The narration by Rory Kinnear is outstanding, one of the best I have heard.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

By:
Gail Honeyman

Narrated by:
Cathleen McCarron

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
11,593

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
10,707

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
10,680

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live. Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world....

Puts Bridget Jones in the shade

Wonderful audiobook

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 18-07-17

This is a fabulous audiobook which I cannot recommend highly enough. The writing is spot-on. Eleanor is superbly brought to life in the most painstaking and heart wrenching way. Seeing her reborn, almost, is really special. Loved all the other characters too, especially Raymond and his mum. All the small details are what make this book special and bring it to life. I hope the author has another book out very soon. The narrator was brilliant too. This is the best book I have listened to on Audible.

37 of 40 people found this review helpful

The Dry

By:
Jane Harper

Narrated by:
Stephen Shanahan

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,051

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
963

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
960

I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that. Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.

Gripping and intense

Australian heat

A really good and intriguing story, with a superb ending. Cannot fault it.

Interesting well drawn characters, a believable plot and a dramatic ending - what more could you want?

The narrator is excellent. His voice is very easy on the ear. My only small criticism is that the awful Scottish accent is a hybrid of many others, but I can forgive him that!

Look forward to other books by this author. Loved the Australian setting and the dry conditions are such a big part of the story.

The Silkworm

Cormoran Strike, Book 2

By:
Robert Galbraith

Narrated by:
Robert Glenister

Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7,382

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,839

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,821

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days - as he has done before - and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home. But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives - so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him.

5 star rating based on quality not name

A bit long and drawn out

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 25-02-17

I had listened to the third book in this series first and found it much better than The Silkworm. I didn't like it feel drawn to any of the characters, other than Strike and Robyn. It also goes on for too long and I was glad to get to the end.However the detective and his side-kick are what keep you reading and listening. They are a fantastic combination.The performance is fantastic, every voice spot on.

A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil

By:
Christopher Brookmyre

Narrated by:
Angus King

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
124

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
111

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
112

We could tell you about the bodies. We could tell you their names, where they were found, the states they were in. We could tell you about the suspects, too, the evidence, the investigators; join a few dots, even throw you a motive. But what would be the point? After all, you know these people. You went to school with them. We all did. So if you really knew them then, you’ll already have all the answers....

"F*&%ing Brilliant!!!"

B plus

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 17-01-17

Having enjoyed listening to a Jasmine Sharp story I was really looking forward to this. However, I found this story less satisfying and less compelling. I didn't feel that the characters were as distinctive as they could have been, possibly because there were so many of them.

It's an interesting idea, looking at how events from schooldays can have profound repercussions in the future. It's well written and narrated, but probably not for the prudish! Overall I enjoyed it but found the main character a bit unconvincing at times.

Career of Evil

Cormoran Strike, Book 3

By:
Robert Galbraith

Narrated by:
Robert Glenister

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,702

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
6,233

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,228

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past whom he thinks could be responsible - and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

Another gripping story.

Wonderful audio book

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-01-17

Brilliant book, brilliantly read. The best in this series by far. Strike is a wonderful character - flawed, sometimes difficult but heroic. The story is very grim in places but the characterisation is fantastic...every character feels real. Nothing is rushed, so be prepared to lose evenings and sleep when listening. So well-crafted...cannot wait for the next one!